Juventus 2-3 Tottenham - 4 Juventus players who impressed the most
The Maurizio Sarri era at Juventus has officially kicked off, with the Italian giants playing their first match of preseason against Tottenham in the International Champions Cup.
In what was a tightly contested and entertaining fixture in Singapore, Tottenham edged Juventus out in a 3-2 victory.
Preseason fixtures are used as a gauge to test the suitability of players ahead of the start of the season and with Sarri bringing an entirely new style of play to Turin, he would have been keenly watching to see the players most suitable to his system.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting four Juventus players who impressed the most during the fixture.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is the poster boy of not just Juventus or Italian football, but arguably football in general, and his immense popularity was highlighted by the raucous greeting his step-out onto the field received.
However beyond his fame, the 34-year-old is one of the greatest on-field performers in history and Juventus would be banking on him to take them to the next level.
Most players return from their summer holidays a bit out of shape, as the effects of long sprawls at the beach and luxury trips around the world take a toll on their body, but not Ronaldo.
The Portuguese international looked as fit as ever, showing no signs of this being a friendly fixture as he attacked the game with all the ferociousness and determination that has been a hallmark of his game.
Ronaldo had a quiet first half as Juventus struggled to get a foothold on the game and surprisingly missed his side's best chance after 12 minutes as his poor first touch gave Alderweireld the chance to recover in the six-yard box.
15 minutes into the second period, Ronaldo got his requisite goal, as he showed great coordination to time his run into the box to perfection and tap in De Sciglio's cutback into the corner of Gazzanigga's goal.
He was substituted after 63 minutes, but with his display, Juventus fans would be confident that he still retains his peak abilities.